CPT code 90839: Crisis psychotherapy, initial 60 minutes2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Washington, DC area

In Washington, DC area, Medicare pays $173.97 for 90839 in the office and $137.77 when it’s performed in a hospital or facility.

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 90839 nationwide

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 90839 covers

90839 covers an intensive psychotherapy encounter for a patient in an acute mental health crisis, such as severe emotional distress with urgent safety concerns. The clinician assesses the immediate situation, provides crisis-focused therapeutic intervention, and determines an appropriate disposition. Psychiatrists, psychologists, and other Medicare-recognized mental health practitioners may provide the service in settings such as an outpatient behavioral health clinic, office, or emergency department. This is crisis care, not simply a longer routine therapy session.

Select 90839 for the initial 60 minutes of crisis psychotherapy. Document the crisis presentation, assessment, interventions, the patient's response, time, and disposition. For additional crisis service, 90840 is the related add-on code, reported in 30-minute increments. CMS physician fee schedule values include work, practice expense, and malpractice components; the practice-expense values differ between office and facility settings.

This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.

How Washington, DC area compares for 90839

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the office rate for 90839 runs from $154.23 in Arkansas to $222.25 in Alaska. Washington, DC area pays $173.97. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

Every other payment area

90839 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

See 90839 in every payment locality

How the 90839 rate is calculated

Each of 90839’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.

Payment rules and modifiers for 90839

90839 has no global surgery period, no multiple-procedure, bilateral or assistant-at-surgery adjustment, and no professional/technical split. What changes the payment is where the service happens: the place of service on the claim decides whether Medicare pays the office or the facility rate.

Codes related to 90839

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

How 90839 has changed in Washington, DC area

Price 90839 for an earlier date of service

Where the Washington, DC area rate applies

Washington, DC area is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 1 cities and communities in District of Columbia. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

• Washington

Browse all communities in District of Columbia

Where these rates come from

FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.

CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates